


Paladins Rise

by AlexandriaLives



Series: Paladins find their way [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Female Pidge | Katie Holt, Friendship/Love, new aliens, started before season 7 but has info from season 7, told from Pidge's point of view
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-04-18 06:22:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14207022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexandriaLives/pseuds/AlexandriaLives
Summary: The legend from Planet Lyra dictates powerful protectors will unite to protect the ‘Rose of Lyra’. It is no ordinary rose for it is known for the ability to restart dying planets.





	1. Birthday

April 3, 2018

Pidge looked forward to locking herself away in Green’s hanger and working on one of her side projects. After a long hot shower, she wanted a little time to be alone with her thoughts, to replay the events of the day.

Before she even got to breakfast, Coran stopped her in the hallway. He requested her help to locate and fix a transport computer of a new group of refuges. They wanted to join the Voltron Alliance and while en route to the castle their ship broke down. Once she grabbed a quick bite to eat, her laptop and some tools, Pidge met Coran at the hanger and they took a small pod. It did not take long to locate the ship, it was one short jump. However, it did take effort to fix the problem with their computer to get the engines restarted. The coding in their ships computer reminded her of her first programing language from Earth. 

The trip back was loud and slow, running off engines older than the programs that ran them. Also, the refuges wanted to thank her and ask her questions about life as a paladin. She wished Allura, Shiro, Hunk or Lance was there. The other paladins were much better with the attention, especially Lance. 

Upon her return, she grabbed a shower and went to dinner. Only to find out Hunk had left on a supply run. Again, she ate a small meal in the cafeteria alone.

A message waited for her from Matt, he was not coming for a visit. Instead, he went with Rolo and Nyma on some mission about a special artifact. Actually, she only half listened once he said he was not coming. He rambled for a few minutes about his mission and then dropped the bomb that he talked with dad. Dad was home and had convinced the Garrison about protecting Earth. Mom was happy we were safe (well sort of) and want us to look after each other.

Pidge contemplated going straight to bed, but she wanted something for herself today. As if on autopilot, she stood, cleaned up and turned to leave. She found Lance standing in the doorway dressed in his paladin pajamas with his hands behind his back. She watched his infectious smile graced his lips. 

His eyes held an air of misfit, “perfect timing as usual. Hey, Pidge. Can we talk?”

Pidge kept her specious look on her face. “What are you holding behind your back?”

His smile widened as if he expected resistance. “A couple of surprises to help brighten a dull day.” He titled his head slightly to make him less threatening. “Can you please get us some glasses of milk?” 

She disappeared for what felt like a moment, only to return and find him sitting at the table. 

Lance had a stack of green cloth to his left and a box to his right. In a soothing tone, he motioned for her to sit next to his left. “First, I noticed your shirt has a small hole. Before you argue, it can be fixed. But I would like to point out another solution.” Carefully, moving the clothes closer to her, Lance kept his eyes on her. “Please sit.” Again, he motioned for her to sit.

She placed one milk in front of him and the other in front of her. Then, she sat and then picked up the shirt as if it had an illness. It was similar to Lance’s paladin pajamas, but it was in Green instead of Blue. “It is pretty, but not me.” At Lance’s chuckle, she put the shirt back down.

His voice held warmth for his fellow paladin. “Each set was designed with the specific paladin in mind. It is comfortable, light weight, and temperature controlled. This was designed for the Green paladin, so it was made for you in mind. Also, the fabric is very durable, it does not rip or tear easily.” Opening the box next to him and reaching inside, a smirk graced his lips again. “Round 2. Close your eyes please.” Then, he patiently waited for her to follow his instructions. When she finally complied, Lance made some noises moving things around. “Open your eyes.”

She looked down and almost cried. It was hard to keep her voice even, but she tried not to show emotion. “Peanut butter cookies.”

Smirking, he took a bite of his. “Mmmm. Good.” Then, he drunk some milk. “I prefer chocolate chip my mom makes, but to each their own. Try one, Hunk has them perfect now.”

On the verge of tears, she did her best to keep her voice even. “Why are you doing this?” Risking a look at his face, she found a serious look.

“Please just eat the cookies, take the pajamas and I will walk you to your room. You can get a nice night of sleep.” He smiled at her again. “I mean, it is not every day you turn 16. Now, please eat your cookies.” Lance kept quiet as he turned his attention to his cookies. 

It was very quiet, but she whispered thank you. They ate in silence like she wanted, but she was glad for his company. When she finished eating, she realized Lance had cleaned up their mess. Her mind kept going back to her birthday. Her voice was soft as she rambled. “Matt is off helping Rolo and Nyma. Dad is back on Earth and Mom is happy the family is safe.” She picked up her new clothes as Lance picked up his box. “They forgot my birthday. It’s strange, I never was much for birthdays.” When he laughed, she bumped him. “What?”

He headed for the door with her trailing behind. Once they were in step, he spoke. “You do not strike me as someone who enjoys attention. It is what I like best about you. Well, that and that wicked sense of humor.” As they walked back to their rooms, Lance would periodically glance at his box. “The past couple of years have not been easy. However, things are looking up for us.” 

As they rounded the last corner, Lance slowed down. “I found something that reminded me of you. It is small and it appears fragile, but like you it is not. I kept wondering what I would do with it, but since I found out today is your birthday, I thought it was only fitting to give it to you.” 

They stopped in front of her door and he opened the box. “Lance, it is okay, you have given me enough.”

Lance pulled out a crystal rose and placed it in the palm of his left hand. “Blue, said it was special and when the time was right, I would know what to do. This feels right to me.” Reaching out his gift, he waited for her to take it.

She picked up with her right hand and marveled at how light it felt. Examining it, she felt happy. “Thank you, Lance.” Before either of them could react, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Good night, Lance Charles McClain.” She smiled and moved to her door.

“Good night, Kathlyn Rose Holt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated spelling and grammar.


	2. Round One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tension builds between the paladins.
> 
> Several are keeping secrets, but who will be revealed first.

April 28, 2018

Each lion had landed in their hanger and their paladins made way to the bridge. They all arrived about the same time still wearing their paladin gear, but they had seen battle. 

Hunk had the most of the green and red goo covering his chest and arms. Allura and Pidge had some on their arms and legs. Shiro and Lance had the least amount, only a few specs. Pidge had a small cut on her chin and Hunk had a bruise forming around his eye. The worst part was the smell of burnt popcorn mixed with rotten eggs, which filled the room instantly.

“What happened to all of you?” Coran asked as he scanned the paladins. “Did negotiations fail?” From concern to confusion, he managed a weak smile.

Shiro glanced at Lance with a brief look of disgusted on his face. “We did our duty,” Shiro said. Once he looked back at Coran, his face was emotionless. “Have we heard more from Lotor… or the Blade of Marmora?” His eyes stared at Coran willing the answer he wanted.

Coran cleared his throat as his scan the paladins again. “No contact. It was quiet while you were gone. This reminds me of a story about Nanny, she would have…” Allura stepped forward with a small smile, which made him change tactics. “Well, why don’t all of you get cleaned up and we can talk over dinner?”

Shiro beat Allura in speaking first. “Fine. Get cleaned up and get something to eat. Tomorrow we can work on some training drills. Oh, and Lance, I would like to speak.”

Hunk and Allura glared at Shiro, while Pidge stared at the floor. When Lance simply nodded, Allura broke the silence. “What happened tonight was no one’s fault, you…”

Bitterness echoed in his voice as Shiro glared at Allura. “As the Black paladin, it is my duty to make sure we are ready to…”

Lance’s voice was even and calm as was his posture. “Coran, could you please see to Pidge’s right arm?” At the sound of her name she looked over at Lance, but if he saw the movement he did not react. “It was cut with a dirty piece of, well I don’t know what it was or what it had on it. Then, please help Hunk in the kitchen afterwards?” When Coran nodded yes, Lance faced Allura. “Princess, we are all tired, in need of showers, food and a good nice rest. Shiro and I need to talk for a few minutes. Next week, maybe a month, we can laugh about how crazy today turned out.” His smile and gentle voice relaxed the room. “Shiro, let’s talk.” He gestured for them to walk out the door. They walked toward the door and left without another word.

Hunk was the first to recover. “Wow. Who knew Lance could be a diplomat?”

Allura shook her head. “No. He did that for us. Father would always… Shiro was not himself and Lance helped him today. Whatever is happening with Shiro, I… we need to help him.” She turned toward the door and she grabbed Hunk’s arm. “We should get cleaned up.” As they left, they started whispering and chuckling to themselves.

Pidge put her right hand on her glasses as she looked at the floor. “I’m fine Coran. I just need to get cleaned up.”

He whispered as he grew closer. “May I?” When she nodded, he gently took Pidge’s right arm and twisted to get a better look. “What happened today?” At her wince, Coran let go. “It is not infected and the muscle damage is very minimal. We have a cleaner you should use to prevent infection.” He smiled as she nodded. “So, should I be worried about what happened today?”

She chuckled more to herself. “Don’t worry, we handled it, well sort of. Negotiations went well and we completed our goal.” Using her left hand, she rubbed her right shoulder. “We were invited to a banquet to celebrate. Everything went fine at first. Then, Lance overheard two guys fighting. It turned into a food fight. Next, furniture went flying and we stepped in to help.” She took a deep breath and checked the room on reflex. Coran had moved toward the door and she took the hint and followed. “In the end, we got everything under control, but…” As they walked down the hallway, she continued. “While we were fighting, Shiro stopped for a moment confused. He grabbed his head and spoke in a language I have never heard.”

Coran let her ramble as he steered her toward the medical bay. “Did the others know what he said?” 

Pidge began to ramble. “Everyone said no, but my gut says Lance knew. I don’t know how or why, but he did. While we were on our way back, Lance barely said a word, Hunk kept asking everyone if they were okay and the other two argued non-stop. They acted like a married couple arguing so much.” 

Once they arrived are their destination, Coran went to straight for the bottle. He handed her the bottle as they turned to leave. “I wish Nanny was here. She would know the right thing to say.”

“Who is Nanny?”

Coran laughed. “Nanny was the one who help raise Allura after her mother died. Allura would tell us we argued like a married couple. She was a good woman.”

“She sounds nice. Sorry we didn’t meet her.” Pidge turned took five steps than stopped. “Coran, did any of the paladins have romantic feels for another?” She kept facing the opposite direction as she waited for a response.

After a moment or two, Coran spoke. “No. Paladins tend to have a very strong bond, but it is a bond of friendship. The paladin life is one of sacrifice and courage. Even the paladins of old had a hard time having a life outside of their duty. Do not worry, I am sure Shiro and Allura will be fine. Just give them time to cool down.”

Pidge whispered thanks and kept moving down the hall. She didn’t stop until she make it back to her room. As she moved into her room, she set her bottle down and moved over to her desk. After a scan of her room, she frowned. Quickly, she went to work straightening her room as she searched for her most prized possession. When complete, the crystal rose sat on the left side of her pillow.

A soft knock echoed in Pidge’s small room as her conscience slowly took over. She threw her cover over it and ran over to the front door. “Yes.”

Shiro stood at her door fresh from the shower. “How is your arm?”

“Coran said it was a scratch and I am fine. How are you?” 

Frowning, Shiro nodded. “Fine… We will not have a training session tomorrow, but the day after. Tomorrow, we all have a free day. You can work in your hanger all day if you want.”

“Thanks, Shiro. Tonight, I will take a shower and turn in. We can talk more tomorrow.” Her smile grew as he nodded. 

“Good night Pidge.”

“Night Shiro.”


	3. Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is about to change for Pidge, only she can't write code or use science to get her out of this.

May 18, 2018

Four of the paladins stood in the battle arena facing a gladiator. Hunk, and Pidge on the left, where Lance and Allura were on the right. Each of them wore their full battle gear and appeared ready for the next round. 

At the sound the computer signal, the team went into action. 

Allura and Lance took the offensive, where Pidge and Hunk were the defense. At first, they worked like a fine oiled machine. Each of them, reacted and protected their fellow paladin.

It was clear, Lance was on a whole new level with his speed and agility. Quick, decisive movements kept him on the attack similar to Keith’s attack style. Hunk made a mistake with a slow respondence to the gladiator’s attack and fell to the ground. The gladiator turned on Hunk in flash. Before Pidge countered, Lance blocked the blow meant for them and pushed the silver machine’s attack back. Allura planned to attack from behind, but the machine spun on her first. Lance delivered the final blow to the gladiator and sent it flying. The computer indicated the attack time for this level was a new record. 

Lance frowned as if he had failed. “Well, do we want to go to the next level?”

Allura stepped up next to him as Pidge helped Hunk off the floor. The princess’ voice sounded soft and comforting. “Lance, I think we are done for today. If we push ourselves hard, someone could get hurt now or later when we are in a real battle.”

Nodding in agreement, Hunk stepped closer. “Yeah, we are in serious need of food and showers.”

Lance’s hands went up in defeat, but his voice held some humor. “Okay, I will concede. How about I clean up here, while the rest of you break for showers and food. We can meet for dinner in an hour.” 

Pidge nodded in agreement and was the first to leave. 

Her goal was to get a shower and make it to dinner without Lance or Shiro stopping to talk to her. Shiro would ask her again about her arm, even though she told him she was fine. 

As for the red paladin, they had not had any alone time since her birthday. Mixed emotions had confused her more than she wanted to admit. Part of her felt glad she didn’t face him one on one. The other part wondered what they would talk about if they were alone. 

She made great time in showering and getting ready to head back to the cafeteria. Once she realized she had time, she paced around her room cleaning up disregarded wrappers and dirty clothes. In a short time, her room was orderly and straight. Slowly she lifted her pillow and found her crystal rose. In a weird way, she felt comfort. Setting her pillow back down, she covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned. After a quick check of the time, she knew it was time to go.

A cold chill ran down her spine causing her to pause at the door. Shaking off the strange feeling, she continued her journey to the cafeteria. 

Once she arrived at dinner, she found the group in deep conversation about toppings for ice cream. The room was loud and cheerful, but Pidge felt a headache coming on, so she stayed quiet.

Shiro and Lance discussed chocolate verses caramel, while Hunk tried to explain what each one tasted like to two scared looking Alteans, Allura and Coran. 

She ate at her food and watched as her fellow paladins slipped into relaxed conversation. Her mind wondered to Matt on his adventure and Keith going off to help the Blade of Marmora. The food held a spicy kick, but tonight it was strange to eat. Rubbing her eyes, she realized she missed Matt’s glasses. 

When the room became quiet, she looked over at her friends. “What?”

Hunk responded first in a calm yet nervous tone. “Pidge, you yawned like four times. You need to get sleep.” 

“No. I’m fine.” 

Shiro shook his head. “Pidge, go to bed. You need your rest.”

Scanning the room, she knew no one would come to her defense. Pushing away from the table, she glared at them. She turned and stormed out. “It was one yawn at the most and I get sent to my room.” 

Pidge wore a grimace as she entered her bedroom after a hard week. She made one mistake today. One mistake. She failed to hide a yawn. One yawn. Okay it was more like four, but Hunk had to say something in front of Shiro. Well, Shiro grabbed onto her failure and told her to go to her room and get some sleep. Really? She turned 16 not 6. 

Crawling into bed, Pidge slid her hand under her pillow and touched the rose. “Good night Lance.”

As soon as her head hit the pillow, Pidge dreamed she was on a faraway planet.

\-----

Green sat in an open field of rainbow colored flowers that danced in the summer breeze. To the right, about twenty feet from Green, a forest stretched into the horizon. To the left, a blue sandy beach spread out melting the crystal lilac water into the distance. The light breeze carried a sickly-sweet fragrance as two suns began to set in the distance. An orange metal pole on a tri-pod was right in front of small purple feminine hands. Her fingers flew over the device modifying the shape by sheer force of her will. 

A warm masculine voice floated through the air causing her to shiver. “Trigel, want to take a break and go for a swim?” When she sighed, his infection chuckle filled her ears, one that promised a playful response. “What? No time for fun?”

She took a deep breath to calm herself before she spoke to him. “No. Unlike the Blue Paladin, I have work to do here. We need to protect the Shrine during the mass exodus. We must be a distraction to give everyone time. Therefore, I must finish setting up the decoys, checking the barrier’s shield levels, review the plan, check the area one last time, check for repairs on the Green, make sure our supplies are loaded into our lions.”

Blue fingers fell over her purple ones as he whispered into her ear, “Trigel, where are your gloves? Did you leave them with Green?” When she tensed, it was his turn to sigh. “For the first time in your life, you left them in the Castle, didn’t you? I know, I don’t want to leave any more than…” When she slipped her hand out from his, he snapped. “Don’t do that, not now. I know how you feel, for the Castle is my home too. I had plans to settle down and...”

“Blaytz, please. It will be hard enough following the plan and…” A tear ran down her check and landed on his hand. “I… We…” 

As she tried to pull away, he spun her to face him and pulled her into his chest. The forced hug brought heat and strength as he brought his arms around her waist. His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke in a strange language just for her. The sound spread comfort like a warm blanket over her making her relax. After a minute, he stopped whispering and gave her a hard squeeze. 

As his hands found her back, so she gave into the moment. “Blaytz, statically speaking, we have a greater chance of going our separate ways, than returning to the Castle. This time, we are not strong enough to fight back.”

“Trigel, please trust in Alfor, he will find a way to get through. Alfor has always found a way to reach through that thick Galra skull. Why would now be different?” The words hung in the air as he loosened his grip and created a small gap between them. “Besides, we will back in the Castle making jokes in no time. Then, we can go back to joking around and playing pranks on each other.”

Glancing up into his blue eyes, she smiled. She didn’t want to argue with him, but she was not convinced. “I can see why the ladies are taken with you. You are smooth, when you want. How about you setup the decoys, while I check the lions? Once done, if we have time, we can have a picnic?” 

His mouth transformed in a flash to the cocky smirk he used when challenged. “Now, now, you are only toying with me. However, there is the spark I love so much, that fire. Do you plan on poisoning me at lunch or attacking me while I am pretending to work?” Glancing at her, he had a hint of excitement which danced in his eyes that matched his smile.

Without hesitation, she reached up and touched his face. “Depends, maybe… I have something else in store, and I know better than to joke about food around my fellow Paladin. Now get to work.”

First, he pretended like he would bite her fingers, but stopped a millimeter from her skin. Then, he winked and released her. “Don’t think you have won, I know how that brain of yours works. Always using science and technology as a barrier. Calculating your next move instead of living in the moment.” He walked over to the metal pole she worked on earlier and took over her work. He gave her a few moments to let his works settle. Then, his laughter escaped as he glanced over his shoulder at her. “I know I’m irresistibly handsome, but don’t you work to do?”

Rolling her eyes, she turned and walked away without saying a word. 

Once she reached Green, she let her words loose. “Can you believe the nerve of him? Implying that I was staring at him.” Quickly, she reviewed Green’s supplies and began loading them into her lion. “What?” Her voice came out louder than she expected as she put her left hand over her heart. “No, he was not flirting with me Green.” She turned and tired her best to block out any comments as she worked. 

As she loaded the final box she snapped at Green again. “Blaytz, is just a flirt and not really into me. Besides, you have seen the type he finds attracted. I would hardly fit into that category.” She sat in the pilot’s chair and pulled up Green’s system. Again, her hands were on autopilot barley touching the screen. She ran several scans at once and typed into the command prompt to speed her process. Mid typing her mouth dropped open. “Green!” She steadied her breathing but exhaled loudly. “Please do not put ideas in his head or in his lions. We both know a war is coming and we must go our separate ways.”

One by one she watched the scans close without a single error. “I will miss the Planet of Lyra, it’s people and their beautiful flowers. Green, did you know they have a theory about energy? Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change form. For example, life leads to death which feeds to life. I can understand why they feel that way, with flowers with such healing properties.” The view screen changed to display the field and showed Blaytz walking toward Green. “Thanks Green.” She stood as the screen went blank causing her to stake her head. Playfulness filled her voice as she spoke. “Green, be careful, it sounds as if Blue and Blaytz are rubbing off on you.” 

Upon exiting her lion, Trigel spotted the local inhabitants approach from the orange mountain range which laid beyond Blaytz. He had yet to spot them, but that was understandable for it took great skill and knowledge to spot them. 

They used speed and stealth as their greatest advantage in any environment. Currently, their skin matched the light orange color of the ground bleeding into the sunset and it appeared to shift slightly as they moved. Their hair lengthened during the approach, becoming thicker. Next, their bodies shifted from a humanoid into Siberian Huskies. Shifting to use all four legs they increased their speed and agility to finish moving down the mountain. 

Trigel finished her walk to her fellow paladin in enough time to warn him. “Blaytz, we will have incoming, and please do not embarrass me. The first time meeting them can be overwhelming, but please no flirting.” Risking a glance at him, she found him smirking as he picked a flower. “We are not to touch the flowers for they are considered sacred.”

A soft growl originated from behind Blaytz resulting in them turning to the noise. Both paladins kept quiet during the approach of the Siberian Husky the size of a large wolf.

Red eyes focused on Blaytz as a dark red and white husky slowly approached out of the taller grass. Eyes darted back and forth as the figure stopped five steps away. Fierce eyes bore into Blatyz as the creature stared him down, warning him that moving would be bad for his health.

Another husky crept out of the grass, with light red tint in contrast to the white fur. Smaller, but just a lean as the first, this newcomer had one red eye and one blue. Excitement radiated from its eyes as it sat a step behind the first. 

The last husky appeared and was the same size as the second, but gray and white fur and eyes as blue as the ocean. Curiosity danced as blue eyes scanned the paladins and than stopped to the right of the first arrival. 

In a soft sweet voice, Blatyz spoke in the direction of the latest arrival. “Ladies… You are all exquisite and we are honored by your presence.” He bowed, than showed them the flower in his hand. Then, in a flash, he shook his hand and the flower disappeared. “Where did it go?”

\-----

“Where did it go?” 

“Pidge are you still mad? Pidge, can you hear me?” She could hear Lance, but not see him. His voice was sweet and concerned as if she had done something.

A flash of cold covered her body as memories of her crawling into bed a minute ago. However, her body felt so drained she could not open her eyes to tell him to go away. He was speaking again, but it was not to her. He sounded worried, almost panicked. 

“… burning up…”

Her body shifted into a blanket and floated away into the rainbow-colored flowers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like my next installment.


	4. Awakening

June 19, 2018

Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt weird. Pidge tried to open her eyes but found a wet cloth on her head. It smelled like moldy cheese and felt cold against her skin. Concentrating hard, she attempted to will her hand to remove the offending cloth. Only, as soon as she started to move, someone held her hand. 

She heard voices filled with worried and the sound made her sad. Unable to make out the words for they sounded like a foreign language.

Lance spoke to someone to her left. “What do you mean, the pods have to fix this? What is the point of being around all this technology?” 

She wanted to tell him not to blame the Castle or it’s technology. It is all in how we use the technology. 

He sounded worried, but this time she swore she heard anger. 

“How much time is left?”

\-----

“… time is left?”

Green leaned against Blue in the open field where the multi-color flowers once bloomed. Replaced by upturned dirt and a field on fire. The battle ended, but the destruction would be seen for years to come. Beyond the barrier, built by the paladins, the land flourished with life. Propped up at the Blue lion’s feet, Trigel’s breath came out labored. Her face held a creepy calm, which made Blaytz kneel in front of her.

Blaytz tone held the same worry as Lance’s. “Don’t talk like that.” 

Trigel placed her left hand on his shoulder. Her voice held the same creepy calm. “I need you to take it with you.” A lone tear ran down her face, but she paid it no attention. “Blaytz, you are the only one I trust.”

Their eyes locked as Blaytz spoke to Trigel. “I can take you inside the barrier or I can get you back to the Castle.”

“The people here can’t protect the rose anymore, with their defenses weakened by the fight. Most of the survivors went into hiding with the Alteans and I am sure many were loaded into sleeping pods. It must leave to ensure that Zarkon will leave this place in peace.” Her eyes closed tight as she took a deep breath. When Trigel’s eyes opened, she locked eyes again with Blaytz. “We can’t go back to the Castle. Alfor will have his hands busy with Zarkon. Besides, if Green and I try to go back, we run the risk of Zarkon getting a hold of the Green lion. We would fail to protect our lions from Zarkon.”

His eyes traveled down to her side, where blood slowly trickled through her fingers. “You will die without medical attention. You won’t bother the Lyrans after you help protect them, and you won’t go back to the Castle of Lions. Why?”

Trigel’s left hand slipped off his shoulder and slid to her side. She winced as she pulled out the crystal rose from a lower pocket. “This is more important that our lives. The fate of the universe…” A tear ran down her other cheek as her face contorted in pain. “We must keep the promises we made to our people, to Alfor and to each other. Please take it, before I change my mind.”

Slowly, he took the rose from Trigel, but never looked at it. “Trigel, I will do as you ask and I will take the rose. Blue and I will hide it somewhere safe until we can return to the Castle.” After taking a deep breath, he examined the rose. The crystal sparkled with a rainbow of color. He slid the rose into his shirt pocket. “Next time, I will do anything to help keep the balance in Voltron. Red and Black may disagree, but not at the expense of the Universe. I would become the Red paladin to keep us from failure.” His hand ran down her cheek leaving a trail in his wake. Then, he whispered softly to her. “We must stay strong for Voltron. We must stay strong for our people. We must put the fate of the universe above ourselves. Just know, I will stay strong for you.” 

He cupped her chin with his hand and leaned in to place his lips to hers. A shared kiss lasted moments and then he placed his forehead against hers. “Trigel, I should have told you sooner, I may flirt with other women, but I only love you.”

“Blaytz, I may get wrapped up in my work, but I love you more. We will meet again and next time, try to make me have a little more fun. Remind me to enjoy a sunset or a night under the stars. We both deserve a chance at a life. Maybe, next time we can have both, fulfill our duty and be together.”

\-----

It was peaceful and still, just like the Holt house a few hours before the Kerberos mission. Her mind slowly cleared as if she entered the eye of her coming storm. Her voice sounded foreign to her and not loud enough, but she knew what to say. “Initiate quiet mode… corso di trama… Lyra and… sicuro leoni.” At first, nothing happened. At the same moment she opened her eyes, the room filled with darkness and all sound stopped. 

Thirty ticks passed until the emergency lighting kicked in and muffled sounds surrounded her. Someone’s soft voice spoke near her, possibly Matt, but the words held no meaning. Her eyes adjusted to the light and spotted Matt by her right side with his back to her. 

Warmth spread through her head from Keith’s hand, as his sharp words pierced the air above her head. “What is going on?” 

“Before or after the craziness started?” Matt spat as he turned his head toward Keith. “Sorry, it has been rough. Well, about a week or two ago, Lance contacted me stating Pidge was sick. He sounded different, so I came as quickly as I could, bringing Rolo and Nyma with me.” 

Matt let go of his sister’s hand and sat at the edge of her bed. “Shortly after I arrived, Shiro and Lance were arguing over what to do about Pidge. She had been unconscious for days, but the healing pod could not fix her condition. Coran suggested putting her in stasis until the castle could learn what made her sick. Shiro wanted to take her to Lotor, but Lance was adamantly against. Allura said it was my decision and I agreed with Lance. While I was contacting my parents, Shiro contacted Lotor. He left before I could talk to him. The weird thing was he left in one of the small ships and not the Black lion. Then, I found out that Hunk had not left Green side since my sister got sick. He was monitoring the strange readings coming from her lion. Green started sending out a signal as if the lion. Get this, the lion was dreaming.” Matt reached out and grabbed his sister’s hand. “Hunk’s theory is the two are connected. Then, three days ago, different members from the Alliance started showing up. Everyone wants to help, but no one knows how. This took a toll on the others. Hunk felt overwhelmed with all that was happening, so Rolo convinced him to go to the kitchen. Allura and Coran helped the new arrivals get settled. Honestly, I did not see much of Lance at first. He would appear if I needed to get something to eat or take a break.” 

Checking the room to double check they are alone, Keith softly grumbled. “As soon as I arrived with the Blade of Marmora, Lance pulled me aside. He said that no mater what happens, we must stay with her.” Shaking his head in disbelief, Keith sat at the other end of the bed opposite from Matt. “He had a look in his eyes I have never seen before, he knows more than he is telling. He has avoided me ever since.”

Matt shook his head in agreement. “I know what you mean, he seems different. Is this because of the Red lion?” He glanced at his sister. “Or do you think it is something else?”

Her raw voice sounded worse than she felt. “Where is Lance?” Both Matt and Keith stood and spun to face her causing her to look away. When she looked to her right she spotted a lone figure in a hospital bed like hers. 

Keith lowered his voice, “He has only been asleep for an hour. Actually, before he sat down, we were taking bets on how long until Lance dropped from exhaustion.”

Pidge smirked and sat up. “Let me guess, Matt won.” When Keith turned away and Matt smiled causing her chuckle. “Well, Keith, he can’t let you always win, that is not his style.” When she looked back at Keith she found a frown on his face. “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.” Matt moved closer and sat back down on the bed by her hand.

Turning back to face her, Keith kept his voice low. “The Castle’s communication is down and the computer refuses to respond to any commands. Allura tried to create a wormhole with no luck. Coran offered to reprogram the ships main drive, but the computer code overcompensates to the changes. Hunk has taken on the mission to make sure everyone has food as a distraction to worrying about you. Lance went back and forth between the lions and you.” 

Her eyes roamed from Matt to Keith, but her expression was hard to read. “Do the two of you trust me?”

Rolling his eyes, Keith step forward. “Strange, that is the same statement Lance used.” Using a jerking motion to point to Lance. “What have we missed?”

“Would you trust me, if I told you the Paladins are in danger and the Universe depends on your decision?” Here eyes darted back and forth between them, but their eyes were fixed on her. “If I told you that…”

Sounding more like a leader than ever before, Keith answered first. “What do you need?”

“Pidge, I’m in too. What is going on in that head of yours?”

Taking a deep breath, she positioned a pillow behind her back. She took a deep breath and looked up at her friends. “First, Coran must stop trying to reprogram the computer. Second, Allura should focus on helping our guest and stop draining the ships power. The Castle will travel to a predetermined location and it will not allow outgoing and, more importantly, incoming communications.” She risked a glance at Lance’s bed. “I assume the Lions are on lock down, right? Lance checked the security around their hangars.”

Nodding yes, Matt wore a confused expression. “Yes, but how did…” 

Keith interrupted with an irritated tone, “And Shiro is with Lotor and Black is in the Castle. But you knew that?”

Pidge shifted uncomfortably for a moment than spoke without emotion. “Shiro never came back with his fight with Zarkon.” She watched as Keith’s face hardened. “The one with Lotor is a clone of original Shiro. Created and programmed to spy on us for Haggar. Lotor realized the truth, but never said anything to help weaken us. On several occasions, Lotor used the clone against us. Allura, Coran and Hunk don’t realize what is happening.”

As she spoke, Keith looked over at Lance. “But Lance knew, it’s eating him alive.”

Matt nodded in agreement. “Keith you were once the black paladin. You need to go the Black hangar and speak with the Black lion. I will convince Coran to come here and run tests on Katie. Do you think we can convince Allura that Hunk is overwhelmed and needs help with our visitors?”

Keith held up his hand. “Wait. How long have you known about the clone thing?”

“Lance suspected something was wrong before we got dad back, but it was not until right before I got ill that he put it all together. He didn’t tell me because… well we…” She squirmed a little and her cheeks took on a slight pink tinge. “We have a lot going on and didn’t get a chance to talk.”

Matt and Keith shared a look of doubt before Matt patted her hand. “Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to talk when the prince wakes up.” The older Holt grinned mischievously, then added a winked at his sister. “Keith, please go talk to Black and I will deal with Coran and Allura.” 

It was Keith’s turn to look confused. “What prince?”

Neither Holt answered him, but Matt’s grin grew. “Don’t worry, I got this.” Matt snatched Pidge’s communication device from the bedside table. “Coran, Allura, Hunk, my sister woke up and wants something to eat.” Looking back at Keith, he pointed to the door. “If you go now, you will miss them.”

“Fine,” Keith mumbled before walking out.


	5. Arrival

July 11, 2018

Pidge sat cross-legged on her hospital bed with her keyboard in her lap. Even if she was focused on her typing, she didn’t miss the movement on her right. Without eye contact, she spoke softly to her fellow paladin. “Did you have a good nap, Lance?”

“Yes.” His eyes scanned the room and found them alone. Then, he looked over her smaller form. “Are you feeling better?” His soft voice grew louder as he moved closer to the bed. He gestured to the right side of her bed with his hand. “Mind if I sit?”

Her chuckle filled the space between them as she stopped typing. Mischief danced in her eyes as she focused on his face. “Since when do you ask permission?” When he raised his eyebrow, she raised her eyebrow in a playful gesture. “What? You are always walking into Green’s hanger, sitting wherever you… Just spill what is on your mind.” She stopped rambling and motioned for him to sit.

Slowly, he sat next to her with his guarded expression. “Are you feeling better?” When she nodded yes, he continued. “Do you know how you got sick?” Patiently he waited for her to speak, but all she did was nod yes and focus on her keyboard. “Why is the ship in a lock down?”

She resisted the urge to move away or lie. “Green sensed what was happening and locked out the largest threat. When I was waking up, I gave the ship directions of where to go. You see, when Sendak took over the ship, I made a few small modifications to the security system. Back when Allura and the AI took over the ship it was not ready. Once I found Matt, we discussed the application, but it still wasn’t ready. Dad checked the program and it was installed when he left for Earth.” She stopped her ramble and snuck a peak at her audience. His eyes focused on her screen and not her face causing her for some unknown reason to blush.

“Why do you have Tamil on your screen?” Holding back a laugh from her strange expression Lance continued. “It is the oldest language on Earth. Some believe it was Sanskrit, but some writing in India and Sri Lanka prove otherwise.” Nudging her with his shoulder snapped her out of her shock. “You don’t have to pretend that you are clueless to my family tree or to my abilities.”

Barely a whisper at first, Pidge looked at Lance’s face. “Dr. Charles McClain was the best linguist of his time. He would have loved hearing the different languages.”

For a brief instant, Lance’s eyes shown with pride and then it was gone. His eyes focused on the screen causing him to point to one of the images with strange wording underneath. “Why are you researching potions?” After a short pause, Lance’s eyes widened. “The gift was…”

“Shhhhh….” Brown eyes pleaded with blue to keep quiet. “In 5 doboshes, we will arrive at our destination. Some decisions must be made. I am feeling okay right now, but the…” Her eyes unfocused for a moment and a sharp pain flared behind her eyes for a second. When he came back in focus, he was looking at her computer screen. “I only get one shot at this and I need to make sure it is the correct one. This is about the paladins making things right and...”

His hand shot to the screen so fast, she thought he might break it. “This one.” Before she could question why, he turned his head and stared into her eyes. “Do you trust me?”

She squeaky yes, but it didn’t sound confident, which caused him to smile. 

His eyes left hers and stared at the bottle with a weird looking bird on the side. “Just know, I was wrong in how I treated you in the past. We have always been friends, but I did not allow for you to get close in that way.” Drifting his eyes down to her keyboard, his voice softened. “You are my best friend and I am sorry if… no, when I have hurt you with my flirting.” His eyes followed her motion of her hands and then drifted to her face. “I am truly sorry for not being what you needed. Cause I never wanted to hurt you.”

“Lance, what will that potion do?”

“It will intensify the feeling that are already there, making them unbreakable.” He waited a moment letting his word sink in and for his courage to return. “This is where the term, soulmates, received its meaning. It is a bonding of lives and souls.” It took a moment for him to realize they were both blushing.

“Lance, you can’t mean to… We are… You will be stuck…”

His face contorted in pain. “Don’t finish that thought.” When she looked away, he carefully lifted her chin forcing eye contact. “Let’s make a deal. Stop thinking that you are not good enough for me and I will stop thinking that I am not good enough for you. Don’t back out now. We can do this.”

Before she could respond, her wrist band chirped. “We have 100 ticks before we land and we need a distraction to slip off the ship.”

A smile appeared on his face as he released her chin. “Leave that to the lions.” When he winked, she inhaled sharply. “Time for us to go.” He stood up, held out his hand to help her off the bed.

Closing her computer, she slid it into her bag and onto her shoulder. Then, she laced her hand in his showing her agreement of trust. They shared a tick before the ship made contact with the ground. Then, she felt Green’s urgency. She released Lance’s hand and made for the door. Her wrist beeped indicating a breech in the proximity alarm. She froze, which would have gotten her caught, but Lance pushed her aside. 

As the door open, Lance yelled. “Where is she?”

Two foreign dignitaries, dressed like turtles, but with heads like snakes pushed past him. Followed by the Blade of Mamora leader, Kolivan and Coran. The group headed straight for the bed where they sat moments ago. Lance put his back to the door giving Pidge the chance to escape. 

Against internal protest, she slipped thru the door. It bothered her to leave him behind, but she knew what she needed to do. She ignored Lance’s voice yelling about how she was missing.

Running to the nearest exit, she felt Green reassuring her the move forward. 

Several times, she ducked out of the way just in time to avoid Castle guest. Keith and the Blade of Marmora were the last to arrive on the ship before the lock down. It appeared most of their allies had sent representatives to aid the paladins, before Keith arrived. 

Part of her felt bad, when she heard Hunk, Allura and Matt in a room just off the main staircase. Until she heard their topic of conversation. “Pidge locked the castle down to protect all of us. From the test results, how can you deny that Shiro and Lotor are on our side?”

Allura’s voice sounded diplomatic but unconvinced. “You can’t be serious. Lotor is not his father and we know Shiro.”

“So, you don’t find it strange that the Shiro would give his bayard away. He would lie to his team about…”

Pidge saw her chance to run past the entrance unseen and took it. As she ran, she felt her energy draining again. It felt the same as the night she was carried to sickbay. Only now, she fully understood, it was Lance carrying her. He had whispered something in Spanish or maybe Italian. She would have to ask him later what he said.

Once outside, she realized the ship landed in the same field as her dream. Blue and Green sat to the left of the stairs in the same spots as before. The field had healed since the battle. She was sure Lance would describe it as paradise.

At the foot of the stairs facing away from the castle stood Shiro. Pidge thinking quickly jumped to the left of the stairs and landed as softly as possible. She waited to peek in case he was on alert. Once she looked over at him, she saw the Red lion just beyond him. Glancing to her right, she spotted the Black and Yellow lions.

Shiro scanned the Black lion for signs of damage, even signs of life. His voice filled with concern. “Why did you leave the castle? Please speak to me. I want to help.” 

Under different circumstances, Pidge would have felt bad for him. She felt the urge to reach out to him, to reveal her location. Instead, Green sent a gentle nudge to wait. So she crouched low to ensure she was out of view and look at her lion. ‘I can do this, I can do this.’ 

He turned toward the doors and walked into the castle on auto pilot. It was as if he never spoke to the Black lion. 

Pidge waited a few ticks before running towards Red’s direction. As she grew near, the lion stood up and moved to block Pidge from view of the castle. On the far side of the lion, Pidge saw the crystal wall shimmer. She paused to calculate the rate in which the walls shifted. Instinctively, she pulled out her handheld device and feverously crunched the numbers. 

As she finished her task, she heard several fast footsteps in her direction. She briefly turned to see the Matt, Allura, Keith, Lance and Hunk running to her. Finishing her mission, she waited until she saw the crystal’s weakest point and stepped through the wall.

Not visible from the outside, the crystal dome housed a stadium size room. To the left, an open field of rainbow colored flowers that danced in the summer breeze. Off in the distance, a forest stretched into the horizon. At Pidge’s feet was a blue sandy beach spread out into crystal lilac water. The light breeze carried a sickly-sweet fragrance as a light red husky played in the flowers. 

Her fellow paladins moved in behind her causing her to pause. She peered at Lance, kept her voice low and said. “Are you sure?”

“Never been surer. Let’s go say hi.” Before either of them moved, a black and white husky headed straight for the group.

Sliding off her backpack, Pidge yelled. “We have come to the Planet of Lyra to speak with Princess Farla. We brought her a gift from the Paladins of Voltron.” 

A could of smoke descended in front of them, blocking the charging animal from view. The wind blew the smoke away to reveal over a dozen pale faced humanoid looking creatures. They ranged from six and half to eight foot tall. Mostly human, each had a different color of hair that ran to their chins. 

In the center, stood a gray haired young lady in a crystal clear armor. Her blue eyes scanned the intruders before she spoke. “If memory serves me, there was only five paladins not six.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if you enjoy the story.


	6. Flowers and Bottles

July 24, 2018

Keith, Allura, Hunk and Matt stepped in line with Lance and Pidge. Regal and strong, he spoke to the young lady. “Five of us are paladins. I am Keith, the black paladin. This is Princess Allura, the blue paladin. Hunk is the yellow paladin. Matt is the brother of the green paladin. Next, we have Lance red paladin and one the end, is Pidge, the green paladin.”

The gray haired young lady blue eyes drifted between Pidge and Lance. “I’m Farla.” She outstretched her hand as if to accept a gift that Pidge had promised. “Pidge, you said you would like to give me a gift?”

“No.” Pidge tightened her grip around the handle with one hand as she reached inside with the other. “Actually, I said, we wanted to give something to Farla not you.” 

Two of the inhabitants growled a threat, but the gray and white husky from the shared memory appeared a few feet behind the group. The husky sat on the surface of the water unfazed by the exchange. 

The green paladin smiled at the husky and bowed her head slightly. “It is an honor to meet you Princess Farla.” She focused on the husky until an explosion from where they entered rocked the room. Turning her head toward the sound, Pidge slipped her laptop out of her bag.

The blast had cut a hole in a small portion of the wall revealing Shiro, Lotor, a few of the coalition and several of Lotor’s army. Lotor wore his friendly smile, but it did not reach his eyes. However, Shiro had a blank expression as if he was void of emotion. Shiro’s voice matched his expression and it made him sound like a computer. “My fellow paladins, I am glad you are okay. Lotor became worried when we could not contact the ship.”

Keith stopped Allura from rushing to Shiro by grabbing her arm. “Allura, wait. I need to talk to you.”

“Keith, let go. We need to help him. Matt told me everything, but Shiro and Lotor are our friends. Lotor is not his father.” Allura looked passed Keith to Lotor, her eyes pleading. “Please put their minds at ease and prove to them you are on our side. All this time we have spent building a better future for our people.”

Before Lotor could respond, Shiro dropped to his knees and screamed with his head in his hands. Then, his galra arm dropped to his side and glowed blueish. As his head came up, his arm turned into a sword. Lifeless eyes scanned the crowd and landed on Lotor. “Minerva wants to see you. She will give you everything. She loves her one and only son.” He rose of his knees and stepped toward Lotor. “Come with me now.” His head titled slightly as his arm turned red. “Resist and I will take you by force.”

Lotor pulled his sword instantly as he focused on Shiro. “No. I answer to no one. I am the leader of the Galra and I will rule the universe without anyone. Besides, Minerva is dead.”

Speaking more to herself, Allura broke free of Keith’s grasp. “Rule the universe. He only wants to rule the universe.”

Keith tried his best to stay calm and spoke directly to his friend. “Shiro, we can help you. Let’s go back to the ship. We still have time to figure this out before things get worse.” Only Keith saw the change in his friend as Shiro charged at Lotor. He turned to the people of Lyra. “We come in peace. However, our friend is… sick. Lotor has betrayed us and we need to stop him. Please help us and...” 

One of the men stepped forward and yelled at Keith. “We want you to leave and take your war with you. We have sacrificed more than our share.”

When Pidge whispered Lance’s name, he turned to face her. At first, he did not understand why she was staring at him, until he looked down. She held out her computer for him to take, but he shook his head no. “No no no no no no, I am not getting murdered over your computer. Matt is right here.” Lance took a step back to give Pidge a better view of her brother.

Pidge stepped past Lance and shoved her laptop into Matt’s hands. At her brother’s startled expression, she sighed. “Watch this.” Once Matt accepted it, she noticed Keith run toward Shiro. Pidge focused on the husky still waiting in the water. When the husky turned her head to the left, Pidge followed her line of sight. Light bounced off some glass like substance within the rainbow-colored flowers. Upon closer investigation, she realized they similar to the bottles in her picture. “Matt, help Keith and Allura with Shiro. We might have a way to help him. Lance and Hunk, cover me.” Without hesitation, she ran straight toward the bottles.

Several things happened at once. Keith and Matt ran toward three fighters. Lotor swung at Shiro’s arm as Allura tackled Lotor causing the two Alteans to fall down. Soldiers from Lotor’s army fired on the Lyrans, which triggering Lance and Hunk raise their shields to block.

Keith reached Shiro just in time to blocked when Shiro swung his sword arm at Keith. In one fluid motion, Keith took a step back as Shiro pressed on to give him the advantage. “I’m not giving up on you.” Rotating his body to the side, Keith widened the gap and slice toward Shiro’s arm. When his blade made contact, Keith watched red sparks shoot up to Shiro’s shoulder.

Matt aided Allura on her advance on Lotor by attacking left as she moved right.

Meanwhile, Pidge lost track of the others movements as she reached her destination. Crouching low, she made fast work of her search. Glancing at each bottle, she covered the firs area quickly. As she moved to the next grouping she paused at the Husky that stared at her. Whispering, she hoped her voice remained emotionless. “I have a present for you, but I am afraid this is a pressing matter.” Again, she moved to another set of bottles. “On behalf of the Green and Blue paladins, we are sorry for your wait. We have kept it safe as promised.” 

When she was about to move to the next area, the husky whimpered. 

Pidge looked right at the husky’s eyes to find her staring at a flower. Upon closer inspection, Pidge saw a bottle with a purplish liquid inside. The bottle was not glowing like the others, but it had a familiar label on the side. Slowly, Pidge picked it up and turned it over in her hand. Warm to the touch, Pidge instantly thought of her feelings for her fellow paladin. She slipped off her backpack and reached inside but stopped when the husky backed up. Then, Green sent a jolt of warning that forced her to check on her fellow paladins.

Unconscious but alive, Shiro slouched against the wall with his arm a few feet away. Keith stood protectively around his mentor with a cut to his cheek. His eyes searching out each of his fellow paladins. Allura angrily paced around the opening in the wall, but Lotor was no where to be seen. She yelled something at Matt, but he just shrugged. Hunk had not moved from his spot in front of the Lyran arrival party. However, the yellow paladin wore a look of concern as he watched someone on his left.

A millisecond later, Lance shoved the biggest, meanest male Lyran to the ground as a Galra soldier targeted them. The red paladin sliced the galra soldier in half, just as another shot him in the shoulder. Lance pivoted toward the new comer and stabbed him. Once his enemy hit the ground, Lance swayed on his feet. He stabilized himself before turning to the Lyran on the ground. As he reached out his hand to help him up, Lance started to collapse. The man caught him and helped him to the ground.

As he crumbled, the world slowed for Pidge. Sound ceased as she sprinted the distance between the them. Skidding to a stop as she arrived, she dropped to her knees. Her eyes met the Lyran man who was holding Lance gently in his arms. If he was speaking to her, she had no idea what he was saying. Glancing down at her hand, she had her bag in one hand and the bottle in the other. Without thinking, Pidge uncapped the bottle and took a quick swig. Next, she moved the bottle close to Lance’s mouth.

“What is that?” The Lyran snapped. Scanning the bottle, his face went from confusion to realization. He swallowed hard and then whispered. “He saved my life, I am forever grateful. Let me turn his head for you.” Carefully, he moved Lance to help her gain access to his mouth. “My name is Krik.”

She tipped the content of the bottle into Lance’s mouth and waited. As soon as he swallowed, she released the breath she was holding. “I’m Pidge and this is Lance.”

The yelling got louder between the Paladins and the Lyrans. An argument had broken out between the groups about Lotor, the paladins, Alteans and Lyrans. 

The crowd parted as the Husky from the field weaved passed her people. She transformed into a beautiful and young female. Her voice was soft and caring as she looked over Lance. “I remember meeting Trigel. I must say, you are much better than her.” Someone gasped, but she continued. “I am princess Farla and it is an honor to meet both of you. Are you ready?”

Pidge nodded ‘yes’ at Farla, not trusting her voice. Her eyes locked on Lance and the small drip of purple liquid on the corner of his mouth.

“We should move into our castle for protect and to greet you properly. Krik, please escort our honored guest inside. Zandee, please carry the other one. Modok, please help those in the Altean ship to come inside before a storm comes. We need to keep them safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the use of the paladins and the new characters. Please comment on my story. Good or bad.


	7. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Consequence of drinking the potion.

July 28, 2018

The team traveled two levels down into a large banquet hall. Hundreds of inhabitants moved around preparing the room as a fallout shelter. Humanoids, and huskies moved with purpose, preparing for some storm, but none cared about their arrival. The natives under six feet tall had every inch of their skin covered, including their faces.

Krik gently set Lance down on a table off to the right side of the room, next to a woman who was covered from head to toe in a tan cloth. She held her hand over his head for a moment, nodded and moved to the next table. She stopped at Zandee’s side and held her hand above Shiro.

Modok entered while dragging Coran by the arm over to the table near Lance. The older Altean kept yelling about the strange code in the castle. 

Then, at the same instant, Green sent a warning of danger to her Paladin.

One glance at Shiro’s red pulsating arm was all Pidge needed. She scanned her friends and found Matt receiving her computer from Hunk. Her heart racing, Pidge ran to her brother and took back her laptop, but not without a disappointing look to her brother. A frown etched her face as she made eye contact with Hunk. “Don’t touch my equipment,” she mumbled as she tucked her computer in her bag. She slid it back on her shoulder.

Coran yelled to Modok, but none of the Lyran’s sensed danger. “If we don’t do something, the ship will be destroyed!” However, several of her traveling companions stepped closer to Coran. “The ship is not responding.” 

As Hunk and Matt stepped toward Coran, Allura reach out to calm him down. “Coran, start from the beginning.”

Without thinking, Pidge slipped out of the room, down the hall, past the flower arena and back outside. The wind blew hard against her as she crossed over toward the castle, almost knocking her down. If the wind was not bad enough, the flowers turned projectiles in the air hitting her body like bean bags. She nearly fell twice more as she headed toward the castle. She picked up speed as Green sent another warning. It was only then she noticed all five lions had barriers raised.

Warnings blared as she raced into the bridge and headed straight for her console. Her fingers soared over the panel as she analyzed the code in front of her. A frown etched her face as she leaned closer to the screen. Whispering to herself, she stopped typing and reached for her computer. “Initiate lion protection protocols.” 

When she heard yelling from down the hall, she linked her laptop to the ship and searched for a specific code. A tear slid down her face undisturbed as noises increased in the hall. New alarms sounded as the ship’s system began to countdown to self-destruction. 

As Krik entered the room Pidge prepared the code for the ship. However, her finger lingered over a last key as Krik moved closer. When they made eye contact, he froze. More tears fell as she pressed enter. Instantly, the ship powered down. “Krik, we are safe now. It is disabled.”

He simply nodded at her as she disconnected her computer. “He will be okay after he rests. However, you need rest and food.” Krik voice sounded honest and sincere.

She did not trust herself to talk, so she nodded. Shoving her laptop in her bag, she left with Krik right behind her. The trip back to the team was a blur, but Krik stayed silent by Pidge the whole time. Upon entering the room, all the inhabitants stopped talking. 

Hunk and Allura stood on the far-right side of the now awake Shiro. Both appeared concerned for the former Black paladin. Shiro sat with a sad distant look on his face, and his hair had turned white. Matt and Keith stood between the two beds, but they focused on Pidge. Lance sat propped up on pillows, while the woman from before worked on his shoulder.

To get to her fellow paladins, Pidge had to pass the group standing in her way. Farla, the gray-haired lady, and two male Lyrans fixated on her. Sliding off her back pack, Pidge sent a weak smile to Krik to reassure him she was ready. Pidge assumed her hair was a mess, she had tear streaks on her dirty face and the sweating did not help.

Before she could speak, the gray-haired Lyran snapped. “Paladin, why did you leave? The storm should have killed you.”

Pidge slowly moved to the center of the room and faced the gray-haired lady. “The castle was set to self-destruct and it would have blown up the planet. I had to shut the system down before the ship went critical.” She nodded at Shiro, but he didn’t look at her. “I had seen the code before and knew what to do. We are safe, but the ship is completely shut down.”

One of the Lyran males spoke roughly to her. “How did you know the code?”

“It was Galra.” She left out the part about Shiro’s arm, but it was clear the other paladins understood.” Pidge’s eyes landed back on the female gray-haired Lyran. “What is your name?”

“Pidge is it? My name is to hard to say in your language. You may call me Rin.”

After a short nod, Pidge focused on the small group. “Rin, we are sorry about the losses suffered from this war.” Turning her attention back to Farla, Pidge sighed. “It is time for an explanation.” Pidge kept her voice loud enough for the room to hear as she moved past the Lyrans and closer to the team. “King Alfor wanted to use the lions to keep peace, but Lord Zarkon wanted to use them for his own gain. The other three paladins, Gyrgan, Blaytz and Trigel, had to choose who to follow. Zarkon was their leader, but Alfor was the voice of reason. Ultimately, they decided to hide the lions far from Zarkon.” 

Pidge had a halfhearted smile as she glanced at Hunk. “Gyrgan, the yellow paladin, left first. He wished them goodbye and left them food to remember him by.” Looking around the room, Pidge was happy to see Rolo, Nyma and Beezer standing by the wall. “Trigel, the green paladin left next. She helped escort some refuges from Altea to Lyra. Once here, she helped fortify the barrier. Before she could finish, Galra scout ships arrived and began attacking. Trigel fought off several waves until help arrived.” A tear rolled down her cheek, but Pidge wiped it away. “Blaytz, the blue paladin arrived to lend support. He assisted in protecting the planet and stayed to help setup resources.”

Her eyes focused on Farla. “Your father was hurt in the attack, but it was not from the Galra soldiers. His brother attacked him and tried to steal the seed of creation. Your uncle only wanted to protect his people, but he picked the wrong path.” Pidge’s eyes drifted to Rin. “Trigel arrived first and did her best to help him. He was dying and told her to take the crystal rose.” Pidge heard several gasps, only she continued. “He told her what it was and to keep it safe. She told no one what she had. It was safer.” She casted her eyes down at the floor and stepped closer to the two beds. “She did not tell Blaytz at first, but on the day they were to leave, she told him. It was the only time she could remember him sad.”

Another tear ran down her cheek, but she left it alone. “Farla’s uncle returned to the field and demanded the seed from the paladins. A fight broke out between him and Blatyz. Trigel jumped in the way and…” Her throat suddenly tightened making it hard to speak. She reached into her bag and felt the cool glass. “She saved Blatyz life. However, she would later die from her wounds. He begged her to get help.” Tears fell from her eyes without stopping, but Pidge did not care. Movement from behind her caused her to turn around.

“She would have kept her secret to the grave, but he told her the truth. Blaytz loved her so much and she loved him.” Not trusting herself to speak, Pidge reach all the way into her bag and pulled out the crystal rose. Pidge handed it to Farla as Rin’s mouth dropped. “He promised to keep it safe until it could be returned. He would stop at nothing to protect her. He even said he would become the red paladin if needed.”

Turning back to her friends, Pidge saw the pain and sadness in their faces. Taking a deep breath, she continued. “Blaytz left here and went to Earth, where he hid the Blue lion. Blue had the crystal rose, which will transform into the seed of creation. After the Balmera, but before we lost Shiro, the blue paladin received the crystal. Blue never said what it was or why it was important.”

Lance pulled back the covers on the left side of his bed. His voice held a sweet and calm tone. “Katie, please come sit down. You’ve had a rough day.” He patted the spot next to him. “Blue told me what I needed to hear. I would know who and when to pass it on.”

Her eyes darted left and right, but without focusing. Pidge stepped closer as she removed her shoes. She dropped her bag at the foot of the bed. “I was selfish.”

A short sweet laugh echoed around the room as his eyes danced with mischief. “You broke into a military base, hacked into a secure network, ran away from your mom, cut off your hair, dressed as a boy, changed your name, risked prison, left our home planet, became a paladin of Voltron, continued to search for your family, fought evil Galra, risk your life everyday for strangers, and your selfish. This I have to hear. How are you selfish?”

“We both drank the potion.”

Again he laughed and then patted the spot next to him. “No, you are the least selfish being in the universe. Now, it is time for you to rest. No one needs saving right now.”

Mumbling to herself she climbs into bed next to him. “I need a shower and food. My clothes are dirty, I need to comb my hair, we need to figure out what to do next.” 

A yawn escaped her lips causing Matt to move closer. “No Pidge, your boyfriend is right. You need sleep.”

She mumbled something, but in her hazy mind she forgot. Lance moved her closer with his good arm until she was against his side. “Happy birthday Lance.” When the blanket landed on her, she closed her eyes and let herself drift off.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a part 2 to my other story, I hope you enjoy reading.  
> Please provide feedback. Good or bad, I like to know what I can fix and what kept you reading.


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